When you choose a fiber optic splitter for your application, regardless PLC Fiber Splitter & FBT Fiber Splitter, It is important to check its fiber optic splitter loss table.
How to well understand performance of a FBT fiber splitter and PLC optic splitters? The first important thing is to discover its Fiber Optic Splitter Insertion Loss Table. This is the basic parameters should be archived. This Fiber Optic Splitter Insertion Loss is the splitter devices loss, Considering fiber connectors or connectors+adapter insertion loss in LGX, The fiber splitter IL would be a little bigger.
To make clear the basic ftth fiber splitter loss in performance, You can refer to the below loss chart table separetely.
PLC splitter loss chart
| Splitter Ratio | Ideal Loss / Port (dB) | Excess Loss (dB, max) | Typical Loss (dB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:2 fiber splitter | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 1:4 fiber optic splitter | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 1:8 optical splitter | 9 | 2 | 11 |
| 1:16 optic fiber splitter | 12 | 3 | 15 |
| 1:32 optic splitter | 15 | 4 | 19 |
1×2 FBT splitter loss chart
| Parameter | Wide Band Coppler (WBC) | Dual Window Coupler (DWC) | Multimode Fiber Coupler (MMC) | ||||
| Grade | P | A | P | A | P | A | |
| Operating Wavelength (nm) | 1310, 1550 or C+L Band | 1310 and 1550 | 850 or 1310 or Specify | ||||
| Operating Bandwidth (nm) | ±40 | ±40 | ±40 | ||||
| Typical Excess Loss (dB) | <0.07 | <0.1 | <0.07 | <0.1 | <0.4 | <0.7 | |
| 50/50 | <3.4 | <3.6 | <3.4 | <3.6 | <3.7 | <4.0 | |
| 40/60 | <4.4/2.6 | <47/2.8 | <4.4/2.6 | <4.7/2.8 | <47/2.7 | <5.0/3.0 | |
| 30/70 | <5.7/1.9 | <6.0/2.0 | <57/1.9 | <6.0/2.0 | <6.0/2.1 | <6.3/2.4 | |
| 20/80 | <7.6/1.25 | <8.0/1.3 | <7.6/1.25 | <8.0/1.3 | <7.8/1.4 | <8.1/1.7 | |
| Insertion Loss(dB) | 10/90 | S10.65/0.65 | ^10.9/0.8 | 0.65/0.65 | <10.9/0.8 | 311.2/0.9 | ^11.6/1.2 |
| 5/95 | <13.8/0.4 | <14.1/0.5 | <13.8/0.4 | <14.1/0.5 | <14.5/0.7 | <15.0/1.0 | |
| 3/97 | <16.15/0.3 | <16.5/0.4 | <16.15/0.3 | <16.5/0.4 | <16.15/0.3 | <16.5/0.4 | |
| 2/98 | <18.05/0.25 | <18.45/0.35 | <18.05/0.25 | <18.45/0.35 | <18.6/0.6 | <19.4/0.9 | |
| 1/99 | <21.15/0.2 | <21.65/0.3 | <21.15/0.2 | <21.65/0.3 | <22/0.5 | <22.8/0.8 | |
| Polarization Dependent Loss (dB) | <0.1 | <0.15 | <0.15 | <0.2 | <0.1 | <0.15 | |
| Directivity (dB) | >50 | >35 | |||||
| Operating Temperature (°C) | -10 ~+70 | ||||||
| Storage Temperature (°C) | -40 〜+85 | ||||||
Even Ratio 1×3, 1×4, 1×5, 1×6 FBT splitter loss chart
| ConfigurationType | 1×3 | 1×4 | 1×5 | 1×6 | ||||
| Grade | P | A | P | A | P | A | P | A |
| Maximuminsertionloss(dB) | 5.8 | 6 | 6.8 | 7 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 9.5 |
| Uniformity(Max.)(dB) | 0.8 | 1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | ||||
| PolarizationDependantLoss(Max.)(dB) | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.2 | 0.2 | ||||
| Directivity(dB) | >55dB | |||||||
| OperatingTemperature | minus 20°C ~ 85°C | |||||||
| StorageTemperature | -40°C~+85°C | |||||||
| FiberType | Corning Singlemode SMF-28 | |||||||
| FiberPigtailLength(m) | 1m or Custom on Request | |||||||
| PortConfiguration | 1×3 to 1X6 | |||||||
| OperatingWavelength(nm) | 1310+40,1550+40,1310/1550nm±40 | |||||||
Note:
1.Excess loss is the ratio of the optical power launched at the input port of the splitter to the total optical power measured from all output ports. It assures that the total output is never as high as the input.
2.Insertion loss is the ratio of the optical power launched at the given input port of the splitter to the optical power from any single output port. The insertion loss includes the splitting loss and excess loss.
How to measure fiber optic splitter insertion loss with calculation?
The maximum allowable insertion loss for an optical splitter used in a PON system can be determined by using the calculations outlined in the below table.
| The maximum allowable insertion loss | |
| 1×N Optical Splitter | 0.8 + 3.4 log2N |
| 2×N Optical Splitter | 1.0 + 3.4 log2N |
| Note: ‘N’ denotes the number of output ports. | |
Temperature Dependent Loss
In certain areas, temperature can be a crucial factor that affects the insertion loss of optical components. FBT splitter can work stable under the temperature of -5 to 75℃. PLC splitter can work at a wider temperature range of -40 to 85 ℃, providing relatively good performance in the areas of extreme climate.
Conclusion
Although the outer appearance and size of FBT and PLC fiber splitter seem rather similar, When choosing a fiber optic splitter, You should pay attention to the insertion loss table to see if it is suitable to your target application. Moreover, You should take the insertion loss of fiber optic connector and adapters into consideration when you have to select cassette fiber splitter or LGX splitter.